The Forest Festival

November 2022

That forest festival had been a lingering idea for quite a while now, in his head. The idea of bringing together people of all different creeds, colours, financial and social backgrounds to the woods, these cathedrals of nature, for a time of discourse and enjoyment. Dare I say, enlightenment? In these times of turmoil, war, famine, and reckless excess all in one, the necessity of seeing eye to eye has increased in importance. Of course, it has been the same over the centuries, either violence or diplomacy has prevailed. The ultimate threat of violence which we have in Europe been spared for so long now, it did seem a shock to most of us when it erupted, this recent conflict. The undercurrents have been smouldering for a while though, the embers deep inside slowly awakening seeds of discontent as the oncoming generations of our populations saw for the first time a future that might be worsening compared to their parents. Might not an initiative simply bringing people of all ilk together in an unassuming environ, for to converse, be a good idea?

It draws upon a larger assumption that might not be so clear to most people. It draws upon the underlying fact that we have more in common than we differ, as humans. Regardless of where you’re from with all that entails, your station in life, your opinions about this and that, we can break bread and find common ground over more than what we differ on. If we start examining most differences and weigh them up against what we have in common, we’ll find that even their cumulative weight does not stand up to the heaviness of that shared value. With this perspective in mind, could we not try to expand it even from the individuals to our neighbourhoods (modern villages), through our nations and finally unto the entire globe? At least in theory, this is an interesting perspective when we’re daily faced with polarisation and opposites at every turn of our heads. Discourse alone won’t solve all our problems, but an openness and tolerance of another’s position might expand and multiply the possible pathways of collaboration as opposed to strict competition and territorialism. The underlying foundation here being one of us all in some way sitting in the same boat, however far apart the stern is from the bow. Somehow people with their basic needs met are less wont to rebel too. Why is it that country after country fails retaining their middle class?

He was hard pressed to reach out to the others in time as that subway-train flew like a bullet up towards the other end of the city. People all around in this late-November rain didn’t usually appreciate the darkness as much as he’d come to do as of late. Let’s instead of always chasing that warm sun try to figure out what aspects of the cold, cold rain we could appreciate, shall we? The hunger in the belly was painfully present now, as he stepped off at Majorstuen to make a quick beer-run before the corner-store closed. Harald’s gym was really close, so he stepped in there to pick up some stuff. Harald had just returned from Mauritius and had some friends over. The mood lightened up as they all understood that he wouldn’t be joining them but was headed out into the woods on this cold and desolate night. What a strange thing to do! The time was still moving slowly as he stepped with the hunger of a child next to a burger joint to grab something to eat before heading up to Sognsvann on the metro again. The others were already present there he knew, people had come from far and near to enjoy this spectacle of a Forest Festival.

Walking those memorable first steps of the cross country skiing-track, he took a deep breath and contemplated the minuteness of the problems we most commonly think about, day to day. The drag and the ever-on-going intrigues and irritations all around us don’t really let us take a deep-dive into the nature of things. Let’s take a step back and sympathise with those that perhaps have less or see things differently than we do. Some other people were a-walking up the same old roads towards the dam at Sognsvann. Who would be out walking on a day such as this? he considered. Other people that wanted to experience nature on a Friday night, perhaps. Skiers were going back and forth towards the station, utilising the little layer of snow that had fallen over the past few days. Squeezing out a bit of joy through the combination of physical exercise and speed. Better hope they brought their gravel-skies for such a venture. After about a fifteen-minute walk he arrived where the others were supposedly situated. The lake was swept in darkness as he hadn’t put his torch on for the occasion. There were two flickers of light from firesaround the lake, which seemed ice-clad for the moment. The ice was deceptively thin, though, so it wasn’t an option to step onto it. The voices and laughter emanating from the other side of the lake did indeed ring out with familiarity, as he understood there might be a while a-walking yet. The nearer campfire, as he drew close with a withdrawn ‘hello’, did respond with voices that proved to be the ones he sought. Familiar faces sitting ‘round a campfire in the evening’s cold and wet embrace. The fire provided the warmth, and the smiling faces provided comfort.

All throughout the night the glüwein and the conversation kept him warm. The bonfire on oakwood didn’t disappoint either. There was no plan for the evening, just the mingling of spirits not even proven to be kindred before that very space of time shared in front of crackling bonfire provided the evidence. In the early hours of the morn’ the ones that were staying the night lodged themselves under the tarpaulin for some shelter from the sleet and melt the pines above did offer. The others went home, and even though it was a rather quiet night, none of them would forget. Forget the “forest festival”.